How are "so called experts" picking the Brewers for 3rd Place?

[Madtown343]

Just to further vent....

 

I also think the loss of manager, Duncan, and Albert will also have an impact on the team. Why those losses are not larger than us losing prince is another thing I am struggling to find an answer too.

 

Especially Duncan. Every year we got to hear how he fixed the careers of lohse, Pinero, now Garcia etc. without him will these average pitchers be simply average again.?

[craigharmann]

Why those losses are not larger than us losing prince is another thing I am struggling to find an answer too.

 

Especially Duncan. Every year we got to hear how he fixed the careers of lohse, Pinero, now Garcia etc. without him will these average pitchers be simply average again.?

 

 

Nah, they've got McGwire there still....and their amazing "training" staff. No worries!

[MJLiverock]

I read today that Whitey Herzog said the Cardinals will win 85 and be the only team in the division to win half their games.

[Warning Track Power]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_40zQ4e6dHbY/TE0ZvjKZ1hI/AAAAAAAAG08/WTbKKLUaxbA/s1600/alg_whitey-herzog.jpg

 

This loser drinks Bud Light. By rule, I automatically discount anything he says.

[CheezWizHed]

This loser drinks Bud Light.

 

I'm guessing if he drank Miller, they wouldn't have let him coach in St. Louis...

[GhostofQuantrill]

Keep in mind Braun was intentionally walked just 2 times in '11. That number will definitely go up. He will also be pitched to differently than he has ever been, teams won't be as afraid to walk him. That kind of stuff is hard to account for in WAR.

 

Aromas may be a solid mlb hitter, but he is the opposite of a Prince. He adds no energy to a team, Prince creates energy and that creates wins. This team really could use a Brett Lawrie type to youthful power bat to keep the magic going in Milwaukee, that will go down as a gargantuan mistake by Melvin. Marcum is a grinder, you don't trade a phenom power bat for a grinder. He died out late last year, and I'd expect him to decline in '12 or do well and fade out again.

 

Until Madson went down I think the Reds and Cardinals would undoubtably be better than the Brewers on paper, and thats what the experts are going off for pre season picks. Brewers 3rd is about right, now they're looking like it could be more like 2nd.

 

And I don't think Whitey said that.. I may be wrong. I read that he said the Cardinals will win the division running away if they get 140 games from Beltran and Furcal. I also read that La Russa said they would have it won by Sept 1 if they stay relatively healthy (pre Carpenter diagnosis).

[GhostofQuantrill]

And to people that say the Cardinals are old... they don't know the team very well.

 

Allen Craig is a starter on every MLB team. He will go back and forth playing RF and 1st base giving Beltran and Berkman very regular days off. He will also play RF with Beltran in CF against left handed pitching.

 

They'll have somewhat of a rotation in the middle infield too with Greene, Furcal, and Descalso. Greene and Descalso can both play SS and 2nd base. Furcal will get plenty of days off as well.

[Warning Track Power]

Allen Craig is a starter on every MLB team.

 

He wouldn't start in Milwaukee

[owbc]

Aromas may be a solid mlb hitter, but he is the opposite of a Prince. He adds no energy to a team, Prince creates energy and that creates wins. This team really could use a Brett Lawrie type to youthful power bat to keep the magic going in Milwaukee, that will go down as a gargantuan mistake by Melvin. Marcum is a grinder, you don't trade a phenom power bat for a grinder.

 

Are you Ned Yost in disguise? Just because Fielder is gone doesn't mean that the team chemistry is going to disappear. Any player that gets big hits is going to create "energy". And the clubhouse still has plenty of characters.

 

I think that lineup protection is overrated. Fielder had nobody behind him last year and it didn't stop him from having an excellent season. Braun has a good eye and he will take the walks when they are given. Yes, he will probably lose some hits and RBI. But a walk is still a valuable contribution.

[MJLiverock]

K

 

A

And I don't think Whitey said that.. I may be wrong. I read that he said the Cardinals will win the division running away if they get 140 games from Beltran and Furcal. I also read that La Russa said they would have it won by Sept 1 if they stay relatively healthy (pre Carpenter diagnosis).

 

It was in yesterday's paper in a blurb section about baseball which the unfortunately don't put online. Probably got it off the AP wire but he definitely said the Cardinals will win 85 games with the injury to Madson there won't be anyone else in the division who will win even half their games.

 

 

Here it is from a Cardinal blog no less:

 

From Rick Hummel’s PD article:

 

"When you look at the Central Division, I don't think anybody's going to win more than 85 games other than the Cardinals," said Herzog. "And with (Ryan) Madson hurt in Cincinnati, I can't see anybody else in the Central Division winning half their games. I don't see why the Cardinals would not win that division.”

 

There you have it.

 

The don of St. Louis sports management has had his fill of spring training and now it’s off to the post season for the Redbirds. I’m glad it’s settled.

http://www.cardsdiaspora.com/

[umphrey]

If teams want to walk Braun and throw strikes to Aramis and Hart, I will be fine with that 90% of the time

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

Baseball Prospectus gives puts the Brewers in 2nd place at 88 wins...behind the Cards, but 2nd best record in the NL. Probably a function of a weaker schedule with such a crummy division.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/odds/

[GhostofQuantrill]

It was in yesterday's paper in a blurb section about baseball which the unfortunately don't put online. Probably got it off the AP wire but he definitely said the Cardinals will win 85 games with the injury to Madsen there won't be anyone else in the division who will win even half their games.

 

 

He did not say that. He said that if Frucal and Beltran both play 140 games they should win 95-100 games, and no one else in the division was capable of winning 85. He did not say the Cards would win 85.

 

Here's a link to the interview.

 

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/that-s-a-winner-says-whitey/article_d7061520-7733-11e1-bfc8-001a4bcf6878.html

[RockCoCougars]

It was in yesterday's paper in a blurb section about baseball which the unfortunately don't put online. Probably got it off the AP wire but he definitely said the Cardinals will win 85 games with the injury to Madsen there won't be anyone else in the division who will win even half their games.

 

 

He did not say that. He said that if Frucal and Beltran both play 140 games they should win 95-100 games, and no one else in the division was capable of winning 85. He did not say the Cards would win 85.

 

Here's a link to the interview.

 

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/that-s-a-winner-says-whitey/article_d7061520-7733-11e1-bfc8-001a4bcf6878.html

 

Ha! I needed the laugh today. This Cardinals team reminds me of the 2009/2010 Cubs. I'm not saying that the Brewers are going to be great shakes either, but I'd be disappointed if they finished behind the Cardinals.

[Bigblast]

Boy oh Boy Here comes the complaining about Lawry. Many people were up in arms when the crew traded away Laporta and now hes going back to the minors. For most of last season Marcum pitched great, he is one of the reasons we got to the playoffs. Without him who know's we might have not gotten in, You just don't know. As we have found out you need all the pitching you can get to get to the playoffs.

[RockCoCougars]

The Cardinals are the team that needs absolutely everything to bounce their way to win 90 games imo, assuming carpenter misses any real time, of course they managed to have that happen last year when wainwright got hurt.

 

 

Ding! Ding!

 

The Cards are really old all over the field. They will have to be extremely lucky with injuries to stay on top of the division.

 

But the Cardinals weren't on top of the division, that's the rub. The Brewers finished 6 games ahead of them. Obviously that's easy to forget due to the postseason hot/lucky streak. Both teams lost a key player, and I don't see how the Cardinals have picked up 6 games on the Brewers.... even if you believe that they will get the pre-injury Wainwright (I don't).

[Madtown343]

No response to Allen Craig being a starter on every MLB team?

[MJLiverock]

It was in yesterday's paper in a blurb section about baseball which the unfortunately don't put online. Probably got it off the AP wire but he definitely said the Cardinals will win 85 games with the injury to Madsen there won't be anyone else in the division who will win even half their games.

 

 

He did not say that. He said that if Frucal and Beltran both play 140 games they should win 95-100 games, and no one else in the division was capable of winning 85. He did not say the Cards would win 85.

 

Here's a link to the interview.

 

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/that-s-a-winner-says-whitey/article_d7061520-7733-11e1-bfc8-001a4bcf6878.html

 

Good grief I copied the quote. The article you link to has the exact same quote in it. He thinks no one but STL will win half their games. Reading more puts the Card floor at 85 with upside to the 90's.

[logan82]

Both teams lost a key player, and I don't see how the Cardinals have picked up 6 games on the Brewers

They didn't. The Brewers were not a 96 win talent team.

[Ennder]

I'm not sure the Cardinals were a 90 win talent team either though, it took a heroic run late in the season to sneak up to that 90 wins and it seemed pretty flukey. Kind of like the Rockies a few years back who followed it up with a huge dip in wins the next season.

[Madtown343]

We need to get to that first series. Is it Friday yet?

[stoutdude04]

 

He did not say that. He said that if Frucal and Beltran both play 140 games they should win 95-100 games, and no one else in the division was capable of winning 85. He did not say the Cards would win 85.

 

 

 

It is quoted just above for you. It appears he certainly did say it.

[GormanHarvey]

We need to get to that first series. Is it Friday yet?

 

You're going to be very disappointed if you think that series begins this Friday

[umphrey]

There will probably be 3 85 game winners when you consider the Astros and Cubs will balance it out so much. Also the Pirates to a lesser extent.

[TooLiveBrew]

No response to Allen Craig being a starter on every MLB team?

You weren't really expecting one, were you?